Straight bar knitting machines

ABSTRACT

Straight bar knitting machine method and means of loop doubling in the last course of rib fabric to be followed by knitting nonrib fabric onto the rib fabric, by the use of controlled fashioning mechanism using two wide point bars with means providing for single and plural inward needle loop transfer motions of the point bars, plural needle outward re-set motions of the point bars including adjustable ratchet control means, and single and plural selvedge stop inward motions, under control of a punched chart programming means, including fashions counting means, which is pre-arranged with reference to available information, so that loop doublings at any required frequencies can be formed automatically.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,729,955 Blood et al. 1 May 1, 1973 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 3,141,3l6 7/1964 McCarthy et al ..66/89 3,376,717 4/1968 Scheller et al...... .....66/88 [75] lnvemcrs' Raymnd Shepshed 3,435,638 4/1969 Stan etal ..66/89 Barry Strong, Syston; Alan John Pearson, Loughborough, all of England [73] Assignee: William Cotton Limited,

Loughborough, England [22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 26,028

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 16,1969 Great Britain ..l9,387/69 [52] US. Cl ..66/89, 66/88 [51] Int. Cl. ..D04b 11/06 [58] Field of Search ..66/89, 88

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,050,967 8/1962 Taylor ..66/88 Primary Examiner-Ronald Feldbaum Attorney-Larson, Taylor & Hinds [5 7] ABSTRACT Straight bar knitting machine method and means of loop doubling in the last course of rib fabric to be followed by knitting non-rib fabric onto therib fabric, by

the use of controlled fashioning mechanism using two wide point bars with means providing for single and plural inward needle loop transfer motions of the,

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I SHEVET 130F 17 PATENTED 1 sum 160F17' koo o w o ommmwio wgmo8o oom oog oogod oo osgi 7.. oocoooooooooo 888 8 oooooowwoooooooooooo ooooooooomwofioooooooeo% ,IEEEEEWE E ooaoooooooooooooooowmwooooooooooooaooooooooooooqooooooooomomfivooooooooooooooooooowbn w oaoooossosooo oooooooosooosoooowcooocooooooomaooooooosoooooo 88888 008080 E q E IZIZIEIZI:.CCIZIIIIZI: I 8888888 ooooo 0000 oogooooomwowosowowwoodooooooosoooooooooooooooosoooo E STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Reference is made to British Pat. application No. 19387/69 of Apr. 16, 1969, William Cotton Limited, from which priority is claimed.

This invention is for improvements relating to the production of rib fabric in straight bar knitting machines, and is concerned with the production of knitted blanks for which the knitting of rib fabric, as for a rib border for a knitted garment, is to be followed by non-rib fabric being knitted onto the rib fabric. It is usual for the rib fabric to have a greater number of wales than the non-rib fabric, and therefore it is usual for the last course of rib fabric to be subjected to an operation known as loop doubling in which, at each of a multiplicity of predetermined substantially equally spaced positions in the length of the course, a loop is doubled with the next adjacent loop, the frequency of the loop doubling along the course being governed by the difference in the number of wales in the rib and non-rib fabric and by customers requirements.

Prior proposals have been made for effecting the loop doubling by automatic means in different instances (a) before the rib fabric is removed from arib knitting machine to be transferred to a plain knitting machine, or (b) after the rib fabric has been removed from the rib knitting machine and before it is transferred to a plain knitting machine, or (c) after the rib fabric has been produced on a modified machine capable of knitting rib and non-rib fabric and before non-rib fabric is knitted onto the rib fabric in the same modified machine.

Certain of these prior proposals have been of somewhat complex nature such as to be undesirably costly. In another prior proposal for using wide bars of fashioning points in a straight bar knitting machine, loop doublings can be formed equally spaced in a course but only throughout a course length having the same number of loops as there are points in the wide bars of fashioning points. Therefore either the length of the course is limited by the width of the bar of points, or loop doublings can be formed only in a part length of a course. The width of the point bar is limited by space available between knitting heads which it is not desirable to increase.

An object of the invention is to provide for loop doubling in such improved manner as not to be undesirably costly and yet enabling loop doubling to be effecting at any required frequency throughout the length of a last rib course of any possible length.

The invention provides a method of producing by a knitting machine, rib fabric having spaced loop doublings in its last-formed course to prepare it for non-rib fabric to be knitted onto the rib fabric, which method includes formingthe loop doublings by operating a pair of adjacent loop transfer point bars with single-needle type inward transfer motions alternating with plural-needle type outward re-set motions, changing when required the single-needle type transfer motions of the point bars to plural-needle type transfer motions, imparting to selvedge stops when required single-needle type and pluralneedle type inward adjustments, and setting up control means for controlling the operations of the point bars with reference to available information of at least different course lengths in terms of numbers of loops, different numbers of points in the point bars, different needle spacings between the point bars in their adjacent position, and different loop doubling frequencies, so that different arrangements of loop doublings can be formed to suit different requirements. The method may include using the point bars each with a number of points equal to or greater than half the total mumber of loops in the course, forming the loop doublings by only the single-needle type transfer motions of the point bars, and imparting to the selvedge stops only the single-needle type adjustments. The method may alternatively include using the point bars each with a number of points less than half the total number of loops in the course, forming a first fractional number of the loop doublings, including forming holes spaced from the loop doublings, by only the single-needle type transfer motions of the point bars, forming a second number of the loop doublings, including filling up the holes, by only plural-needle type transfer motions, and imparting to the selvedge stops the single-needle type adjustments when required and the plural-needle type adjustments when required. If and when required, the plural-needle type transfer motions and selvedge stop adjustments are of two-needle type, and a third number of the loop doublings, including filling up the holes, is formed by three-needle type transfer motions and selvedge stop adjustments. The method may include re-adjusting the selvedge stops for selvedge fashioning, the re-adjustment being made with reference to available information of the number of points remaining in registry with selvedge groups of needles at the end of forming the loop doublings. Conveniently the available information is in the form of numerical charts the details of which have been obtained by use of formulae. In one arrangement the method includes setting up the control means to provide for a number of single-needle transfer motions without selvedge stop adjustments, a number of the single-needle type transfer motions with single-needle type selvedge stop adjustments, a number of two-or-more-needle type transfer motions with two-or-more-needle type selvedge stop adjustments, and a two-or-more needle type transfer motion without a selvedge stop adjustment.

The invention also provides a straight bar knitting machine having means for producing rib fabric to be followed by knitting non-rib fabric onto the rib fabric, a narrowing head carrying a pair of loop transfer point bars each having a multiplicity of loop transfer points, means for changing the mode of the machine from knitting to fashioning, adjustable lead screw means for controlling the point bars to provide when required for single and plural-needle inward loop transfer motions alternating with plural-needle outward re-set motions of the point bars for loop doubling at spaced locations along the length of the course, selvedge stops adjusts ble to provide when required for single-and-plural-needle inward adjustments thereof, and pattern or programme control means which is variably pre-set with reference to course length in terms of loops in the course, number of points in the bars, number of needles between the bars in an innermost starting position, and frequency of loop doubling, so that loop doublings can be formed at any required frequency automatically.

Conveniently the number of points in the bar is a calculated maximum or minimum number. Conveniently the adjustable lead screw means for the point bars to provide plural-needle outward re-set motions is under control of cam-operated ratchet means having pawl control plates which are adjustable to provide for the re-set movements of the point bars being to variable pluralneedle extents. Conveniently the machine includes punched chart programming control means for controlling machine operations including fashioning motions of the machine and having counting means under control of punched hole information from the chart for controlling the number of fashioning motions or loop doublings required prior to changing from single-needle transfer motions to plural-needle transfer motions and prior to single-and-plural-needle adjustments of the selvedge stops.

The foregoing and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the construction which will now be described, as a specific embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of needles and rib fabric in a straight bar knitting machine, according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar view to FIG. 1 showing transfer of rib loops to frame needles.

FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIGS. 1 and 2 showing all the fabric loops on frame needles.

FIG. 4 is a detail view ofa first loop doubling stage.

FIG. 5 is a similar view to FIG. 4 showing a later loop doubling stage.

FIG. 6 is a similar view to FIG. 5 showing a further loop doubling operation.

FIG. 7 is a view showing diagrammatically all the loop doubling stages necessary to suit one set of requirements.

FIG. 8 is a similar view to FIG. 7 showing all the loop doubling stages necessary to suit modified requirements.

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of relevant parts of a straight bar knitting machine according to the invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic front view of part of the machine.

FIG. 11 is a detail view of part of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a detail view of part of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a detail view of part of FIG. 12.

FIGS. 14 to 17 are detail views of control plates of FIG. 12.

FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic illustration of first clawker mechanism of FIG. 12.

FIG. 19 is a similar view to FIG. 18 at a later stage.

FIG. 20 is a similar view to FIG. 18 of a second clawker mechanism of FIG. 12.

FIG. 21 is a similar view to FIG. 19 showing the second clawker mechanism at a later stage.

FIG. 22 is a further detail view of the first clawker mechanism.

FIG. 23 is a detail view of gearing of FIG. 12.

FIG. 24 is a diagrammatic illustration of part of the machine mechanism and associated electrical control means.

FIG. 25 is a detail view of a punched chart used in the mechanism of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 8 showing loop doubling stages to suit further modified requirements.

FIG. 27 is a similar view to FIG. 26 showing loop doubling stages to suit still further modified requirements.

The illustrated examples of the invention will be hereinafter described with particular reference to a straight bar knitting machine of the kind disclosed in our US. Pat. No. 1,121,143, to which reference is directed for full details.

Referring to FIG. 1 this kind of machine has bearded frame needles 1 and spaced machine needles MN which in this instance are latch needles. Rib fabric RB is knitted on the spaced machine needles MN and on spaced ones of the frame needles as shown. Loop transfer mechanism, comprising in this instance loop spreader elements LSE on the machine needles MN is provided. The machine needle loops L of the last rib course are transferred, by advancing the machine needles MN as in FIG. 2 and raising the frame needles as shown, to the intervening frame needles which have been inactive during the rib knitting. This forms a nonrib course on the frame needles 1, FIG. 3, onto which non-rib fabric is to be knitted, either in the same machine or in a plain knitting machine.

The machine is equipped with at least two loop transfer devices 2, 2a, FIG. 10, each having a group of loop transfer points 3 for fashioning purposes but which are modified as hereinafter fully described for loop doubling in the last course of the rib fabric. The machine is further equipped with the usual narrowing head having a narrowing shaft N, FIG. 9, carrying the loop transfer devices 2, 2a including the usual mechanism including an adjustable lead screw FS FIG. 10 for effecting single needle loop transfer motions of the points and re-setting motions of the points, the latter involving modified mechanism as hereinafter fully described for the required loop doubling.

The machine is still further equipped with punched chart programming mechanism which may be a main punched chart programming mechanism, partly shown in FIG. 24, for controlling shaping of a garment and modified for control of the required loop doubling, or there may be a separate punched chart programming mechanism for controlling the loop doubling.

Each of the loop transfer devices 2, 20 may have either a predetermined variable number of points or a predetermined standard number of points, to be hereinafter more fully referred to, and the programming means for the loop doubling is adapted for causing the points 3 of each loop transfer device 2, 2a to have a predetermined number of single needle loop transfer motions and a predetermined number of plural needle reset motions to provide a plurality of loop doublings in the last rib course at any required given frequency, and if necessary also to impart to the points 3 a predetermined number of following two or more needle loop transfer motions and furthera predetermined number of plural needle reset motions to provide a further plurality of loop doublings substantially at the same given frequency, so that loop doublings can be formed at any required frequency in a series extending substantially throughout the whole length of the course. For this purpose the holes in the punched chart 

1. A method of producing, by a knitting machine hAving needles, fashioning mechanism including loop transfer points, and patterning means, a rib fabric having spaced loop doublings in its last-formed course of prepare it for non-rib fabric to be knitted onto the rib fabric; which method comprises: initially disposing the two groups of loop transfer points inwardly and spaced by a distance equal to a required pitch distance for the loop doublings in terms of a number of said needles, said points being of a predetermined number registering with a number of said needles which, jointly with said pitch distance number of needles, is in predetermined relation to the number of said needles forming said last-formed course, performing an operation of imparting to said points narrowing motions to form a spaced pair of loop doublings by the inner end points of said groups of points and causing at the outer ends of the groups of points to become loop-less needles, and re-setting the points by outward re-set motions for a distance under control of the patterning means equal to said required pitch distance for the loop doublings, and performing a succession of operations similar to the first said operation and in outwardly progressing manner for the points until loop doublings are formed at required spaced locations throughout the length of the course.
 2. A method of producing, by a knitting machine having needles including selvedge needles, fashioning mechanism including loop transfer points, thread carrier selvedge stops, and patterning means, a rib fabric having spaced loop doublings in its last-formed course to prepare it for non-rib fabric to be knitted onto the rib fabric; which method comprises: initially disposing two groups of the loop transfer points inwardly and spaced by a distance equal to a required pitch distance for the loop doublings in terms of a number of the needles, the points being of a predetermined number registering with a number of the needles which jointly with said pitch distance number of needles is not less than the number of needles forming the last-formed course, performing a first operation of imparting to the points single needle narrowing motions to form first spaced loop doublings by the inner end points of the groups of points and causing a pair of selvedge needles to become loop-less needles, racking-in the selvedge stops one-needle distance, and re-setting the points by outward re-set motions for a distance under control of the patterning means equal to said required pitch distance for the loop doublings, and performing a succession of operations similar to the first said operation and in outwardly progressing manner for the points until the loop doublings are formed at required spaced locations throughout the length of the course.
 3. A method of producing, by a knitting machine having a row of needles including selvedge needles, fashioning mechanism including loop transfer points, thread carrier selvedge stops, and patterning means, a rib fabric having spaced loop doublings in its last-formed course to perpare it for non-rib fabric to be knitted onto the rib fabric; which method comprises initially disposing two groups of the loop transfer points near the middle of the row of needles and spaced apart for a relatively small distance in terms of a small number of middle needles, the points registering with a number of the needles which jointly with the small number of middle needles is less than the number of the needles forming the last-formed course, performing a first operation of imparting to the points single needle narrowing motions to form first spaced loop doublings by the inner end points of the groups of points and causing needles at the outer ends of the groups of points to become first loop-less needles, and re-setting the points by outward re-set motions for a distance under control of the patterning means equal to said required pitch distance for the loop doublings, performing a succession of operations similar to the first operation in outwardly progressive manner for the points until The inner end points of the groups of points register with the first loop-less needles, performing a second operation of imparting to the points two-needle narrowing motions to form a further pair of spaced loop doublings by the inner end points of the groups of points and causing the first loop-less needles to receive loops and two pairs of selvedge needles to become first loop-less selvedge needles, racking-in the selvedge stops two-needle distances, and re-setting the points by outward re-set motions for a distance under control of said patterning means substantially equal to said required pitch distance for the loop doublings, and performing a succession of operations similar to said second operation in outwardly progressing manner until required loop doublings are formed at required spaced locations.
 4. A knitting machine having a combination a row of needles, fashioning mechanism including means for changing the mode of the machine from knitting mode to fashioning mode and loop transfer points, two groups of said points being initially disposed near the middle of said row of needles and spaced apart for a relatively small distance in terms of a small number of said needles, said points being of a predetermined number registering with a number of said needles which jointly with said small number of said needles is in predetermined relation to the number of said needles forming the last-formed rib course, limited selection means operably connected to said points to provide for at least one-needle and two-needle loop transfers, multi-selection means operably connected to the points to provide for re-set motions of the points to variable extents, and pattern control means operably connected to said limited and multi-selection means for variably determining the transfer and re-set motions of the loop transfer points with reference to a numerical chart.
 5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 having selvedge stops and means for adjusting them, and punched chart programming control means for controlling machine operations including fashioning motions of the machine and having counting means under control of punched hole information from the chart for controlling the number of fashioning motions or loop doublings required prior to changing from single-needle transfer motions to plural-needle transfer motions and prior to adjustments of the selvedge stops.
 6. A method of producing, by a knitting machine having needles including selvedge needles, fashioning mechanism including loop transfer points, thread carrier selvedge stops, and patterning means, a rib fabric having spaced loop doublings in its last-formed course to prepare it for non-rib fabric to be knitted onto the rib fabric; which method comprises employing two small groups of the loop transfer points which are initially spaced by a distance equal to a required pitch distance for the loop doublings in terms of a number of the needles, the points registering with a number of the needles which jointly with said pitch distance number of needles is appreciably less than the number of needles forming the last-formed course, performing a first operation of imparting to the points single needle narrowing motions to form first spaced loop doublings at the inner ends of the small groups of points and causing first needles at the outer ends of the small groups of points to become first loop-less needles, and re-setting the points by outward re-set motions for a distance under control of the patterning means equal to said required pitch distance for the loop doublings, performing a succession of operations similar to said first operation in outwardly progressing manner for the points until the inner end points of the small groups of points register with the first loop-less needles, performing a second operation of imparting to the points two-needle narrowing motions to form further spaced loop doublings at the inner ends of the small groups of points and causing the first loop-less needles to receive loops and two pairs of neeDles at the outer ends of the groups of points to become first pairs of loop-less needles, and re-setting the points by outward re-set motions for a distance under control of the patterning means substantially equal to said required pitch distance for the loop doublings, performing a succession of operations similar to said second operation in outwardly progressing manner for the points until the inner end points of the small groups register with the first pairs of loop-less needles, performing a third operation of imparting to the points three-needle narrowing motions to form further spaced loop doublings at the inner ends of the small groups of points and causing the first pairs of loop-less needles to receive loops and second needles at the outer ends of the groups of points to become second loop-less needles, re-setting the points by outward re-set motions for a distance under control of the patterning means substantially equal to said required pitch distance for the loop doublings, and performing a succession of operations similar to said third operation in outwardly progressing manner for the points until required loop doublings are formed at required spaced locations throughout the length of the course.
 7. A method of producing by a knitting machine having a row of needles, fashioning mechanism including two groups of transfer points, and patterning means, rib fabric having spaced loop doublings in its last-formed course to prepare it for non-rib fabric to be knitted onto the rib fabric, which method consists in initially disposing said two groups of loop transfer points inwardly of said row of needles and spaced by a relatively small number of needles, said two groups of points being of a predetermined number registering with a number of said needles which jointly with said small number of needles is in predetermined relation to the number of needles forming said last-formed course, imparting to each group of points a first narrowing motion to form a pair of spaced loop doublings by the inner end points of said groups of points, and then performing a reset and narrowing operation, by imparting to each group of points an outwards re-setting motion for a distance under control of said patterning means substantially equal to a required pitch distance for the loop doublings and a further narrowing motion to form a second pair of spaced loop doublings by points at inner ends of the groups of points, said operation being repeated if required, for loop doublings to become formed at required spaced locations throughout the length of the course. 